The Iowa Economic Development Authority approved a $250,000 grant for a Digital Manufacturing Deployment Facility project at Iowa State University. The funding will help ISU/CIRAS address the current gap in small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies adopting new automation technology. The flexible facility ISU plans to build and staff will offer Iowa manufacturing companies the opportunity […]
The Dallas Morning News released what Jeff Bezos probably would have written to the losing cities in the saga of choosing Amazon’s H2Q (“initials+numbers = very hip/very now”) location, had he not been busy doing, uh, something else. “We can’t attest to its provenance. We doubt Amazon would confirm it. Nor will we even deny […]
Bravo Greater Des Moines and the Des Moines Arts Festival are launching the Creative Economy Initiative, an action plan for professional development and the building of businesses for regional artists. Artist and business strategist Chris Dahlquist will work on a feasibility study and action plan for how to advance creative economy objectives in the region […]
The Iowa Innovation Corp. has hired Jim Register as president and CEO to lead IICorp as the entity transitions into a new Iowa biosciences development center, reports the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Register will bring together partners from research institutions, global companies, entrepreneurs, investors and government to accelerate growth in the bioscience industries in Iowa, the […]
Established in 2003, the state’s venture capital initiative “Iowa Fund of Funds” is slowly winding down after the Iowa Executive Council voted 4-0 to dissociate the fund with its governing entities, reports the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The program, which was managed under the private, not-for-profit Iowa Capital Investment Corp. and a state Capital Investment Board, is […]
Rantizo, Inc.: $500,000, completed in October. Based in Iowa City. Participating: Innova Memphis (Memphis, Tennessee).
SwineTech: $1.5 million in the company’s second round, completed in June. Participating: AgVentures Alliance, Quake Capital and InnovaMemphis. The June round added eight additional full-time jobs to SwineTech, co-founder/CEO Matthew Rooda confirmed, adding that “a majority” of funding came from Iowa and Minnesota. SwineTech is planning an expansion through North America and into Canada, Rooda […]
The Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program is designed to support successful Iowa-based grant applications through the Small Business Administration. One component of the program provides up to $50,000 in financial assistance to companies – $25,000 upon receipt of an SBIR or STTR award and $25,000 upon submission of a phase II […]
BUZZFEED NEWS: More than 20 percent of female founders who responded to a survey from technology accelerator Y Combinator said investors have targeted them with some type of inappropriate sexual behavior, according to results from Y Combinator shared this week. Only 88 out of 384 female founders associated with Y Combinator completed the survey, but […]
The Angel Capital Association has announced investment in nine regional startups who recently presented in Des Moines at the annual Best of Midwest Conference, hosted by local investment group Plains Angels. Hosted by the Greater Des Moines Partnership and BrownWinick Law Firm, the event hosted 140 attendees, including 90 accredited investors. Des Moines companies Pitchly […]